


Light a candle, light a motive

by angelskuuipo



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Apparently that's a thing for me, Future Fic, GFY, Gen, Post-Chosen, Post-Episode: s05e22 Not Fade Away, Songfic, This is sad and yet strangely hopeful at the same time, possible tissue warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-18 08:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2342192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelskuuipo/pseuds/angelskuuipo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone’s luck runs out at some point.  She’s just glad she’s not alone when her time comes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light a candle, light a motive

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pickamix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickamix/gifts).



> Prompt: _It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine_ \- REM
> 
> Written for the lovely Pickamix’s birthday. I know I said I’d write you a drabble, but apparently I had a bit more than that to say. :D I do hope you like this, honey! Big thanks to Gabrielle for the beta.
> 
> Written: September 21, 2014  
> Word Count: 1,094

~*~*~*~*~*~

They were getting closer. Willow could feel the ground shake with every step they took. She shut her eyes against the dust that rained down on her and feebly pushed at the beam that had her trapped.

She couldn’t feel her legs.

That was bad, right?

If she weren’t so tired, didn’t feel so weak, she could maybe teleport out. But that wasn’t going to happen. She’d been fighting for hours before she got herself into this predicament. She was all tapped out.

“You’re not givin’ up, are ya, Red?”

Willow blinked her eyes open and stared muzzily up at Faith. Wait, what?

“You’re dead,” she mumbled.

Faith sat down next to her. “That I am. When has that ever stopped any of us?”

“Point.” Willow thought about it. “You’re not the First are you? I really don’t need that on top of all of this, too.”

Faith grinned at her. “Nah, it’s just me. The First is still safely in Hell for the next millennium or so.”

“Good. Tha’s good,” she slurred. Slurring was bad. Her eyes slid shut before she could ask Faith about it.

Willow might have fallen asleep. She wasn’t sure. When she opened her eyes again Faith was still there, legs out straight and leaning back on her elbows. The hem of her shirt had ridden up, but Willow didn’t see any hint of the wound that had killed her. Death looked good on the fallen Slayer.

“I’m dying, aren’t I?”

Faith tilted her head towards her. “Unless someone can pull a miracle out of their ass in the next hour or so, yeah, I’m afraid so. Would it be so bad?”

Would it? Willow thought about it. She was the only one left of the original Scoobies. Hell, she was the only one left of the group that had made it out of Sunnydale. 

Angel and his crew had gone down in the fight against Wolfram & Hart. Willow and her team had arrived about five minutes too late. Illyria had been the only one left standing. That had been a tense confrontation, but they’d worked it out and finished the job. The world kept on turning.

She got distracted by that thought and Willow frowned. “Do you know where Illyria is?”

Faith tilted her head the other way, like she was listening. “She’s working her way here. Don’t know if she’ll make it in time, but she’s doing her best.”

Willow nodded. She’d like the chance to say goodbye. They might have gotten off to a rocky start, but she and Illyria had become a pretty formidable team in the years since L.A.

The ground shook again and the beam trapping her shifted. Willow cried out in pain, tears springing to her eyes and rolling down her dirty cheeks.

“There, there, Witch. No need to cry. It’ll all be over soon.”

Willow gasped, her eyes shooting open (when had she closed them?) at the sound of a voice she hadn’t heard in over twenty years. Spike was next to Faith, a look of concern she’d only ever seen directed at Dawn on his face.

“Spike,” she breathed.

One corner of his mouth quirked up, but the look in his eyes was too sad for her to consider it a smile. “Hey, Willow.”

The fact that he used her given name drove home the fact that she was dying more than the fact that two ghosts were sitting with her to pass the time.

“Will I get to see the others?” she asked out of the blue. “Will I get to see Tara?” She looked at her fallen friends, desperate hope in her eyes. All these years and Tara still held the majority of her heart.

Spike gave her a real smile then. “Yeah, you will. They’re plannin’ the party right now.”

Willow swallowed and looked at Faith. “To answer your question, no, it wouldn’t be so bad at all.”

Before Faith could say anything, there was a thunderous boom and the ground heaved underneath them. The beam crushing her broke, but Willow knew it was too late. There really was no getting out of this. And she found herself okay with that.

“WITCH!”

Willow’s head rolled to the side to see Illryia striding towards her, blood and viscera trailing in her wake. She saw the moment the god-king noticed Faith and Spike, because Illyria actually stumbled before regaining her balance.

“What is this trickery?” Illryia demanded.

Spike held up his hands in defense. “Just keepin’ her company, Bluebird.”

Illyria studied him for a moment. “I watched you to turn ash.” She looked at Faith. “I attended your pyre as well.”

Faith shrugged. “We’re ghosts, Blue. Like Fangless said, we’re here to keep Willow company. That’s all.”

Illyria swept Willow with a glance and then knelt by her head. “Your lower body is crushed.” She laid a hand on Willow’s chest and listened, the corners of her lips turning down. “You are not long for this world. This…saddens me.”

Willow smiled up at her. “I’m going to miss you, Illyria. But, I think, for me it’s alright. I’ll get to be with my family again.”

A tear tracked down Illyria’s cheek. “This is the second time I have lost my guide in this world. What will I do now?”

Willow reached up and wiped the tear away. Her arm fell heavily back to the ground. “You know how to live in this world. You know right from wrong and how to apply it. The Council will always have a place for you. You’ll be fine.”

Illyria continued to frown, but eventually nodded. “I will think on it.” She took Willow’s hand and gently held it. “Say hello to Wesley for me.” She paused then gruffly added, “Please.”

Willow drew in a breath to answer, but started coughing. It felt and sounded wet. Time was almost up. “I will,” she managed to choke out.

A song from her childhood came to her then and Willow started laughing. All three of her companions looked at her like she was crazy, but she couldn’t stop. When she finally calmed down, she started humming.

It took a few seconds, but then Spike started laughing too. “Good on you, Red. Good on you.”

Faith caught on and giggled. Then she started humming along.

Illryia scowled at them all. “I do not understand.”

Spike started singing, “ _It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine._ ”

Willow closed her eyes for the last time with a smile on her face. 

-30-


End file.
